


Like Ice in the Sunshine

by Sandrine Shaw (Sandrine)



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: ColdFlash Week 2018, Day At The Beach, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, Lisa and Iris are a menace, M/M, Not Legends of Tomorrow Compliant, Post-Episode: s02e09 Running to Stand Still, Sexual Tension, Tumblr: coldflashweek, chance encounters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 17:02:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15441693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandrine/pseuds/Sandrine%20Shaw
Summary: Barry followed the line of Iris' gaze across the crowded beach past sunbathing couples and playing kids. He didn't quite know what he expected to find, but it certainly wasn't Leonard and Lisa Snart, engaged in what looked like a fiercely competitive game of frisbee.[Unapologetically fluffy summer fic for the Mini Summer Coldflash Weekend, Day 1: Day at the Beach.]





	Like Ice in the Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> My very late entry for the Mini Summer Coldflash Weekend! But seeing as the heatwave (no pun intended!) hasn't let up yet, I assume this is still relevant! :D
> 
> Thanks to my wonderful beta S.!

 

"The nerve of that man! Can you believe this?"

Iris's tone had taken that unique mixture of amused and outraged, piquing Barry's curiosity. 

He followed the line of her gaze across the crowded beach past sunbathing couples and playing kids. He didn't quite know what he expected to find, but it certainly wasn't Leonard and Lisa Snart, engaged in what looked like a fiercely competitive game of frisbee. 

Barry blinked against the sunlight. For a moment, he thought his imagination was playing tricks on him; but no, it was really Snart, even if he looked unfamiliar without his signature parka and the Cold Gun at his side. The sunglasses did very little to conceal his identity, though most people probably wouldn't expect Captain Cold on a beach and wouldn't notice the man hiding in plain sight wearing nothing but a pair of dark navy boxer shorts. It was odd – he was displaying just as much skin as everyone else on the beach, and yet it seemed strangely more... _revealing_ on him simply because of how covered up he usually kept himself. 

Barry's eyes trailed over the shifting muscles in Snart's back, a flush of heat rising to his cheeks that had little to do with the sizzling temperatures and the hot sand under his feet. He told himself he was merely taken by surprise. Yes, it was definitely only the novelty that was startling him. Nothing to do with the irrevocable fact that Snart cut a striking and unfairly sexy figure – both in and out of costume, apparently.

Next to him, Iris coughed, deliberate and pointed, and Barry guiltily averted his gaze. 

"I'd tell you to stop undressing him with your eyes, but it's not like there's much left to undress."

Disapproval was clearly winning out over amusement. Barry winced. He was still wondering if he should even bother denying it when Iris continued. "It's like he doesn't even care that he's got an outstanding warrant for his arrest. You'd think someone who broke out of prison and then proceeded to break into a cop's house on his first night out would be lying low, not hanging out on the most crowded beach in town in broad daylight." She shook her head in disbelief, frowning at the Snart siblings' boldness while she pulled her hair up and put on a coat of sunscreen, stretching out on the towel.

"That B&E isn't exactly on record. Unless you told Joe?"

"Yeah, right. That's totally a conversation I was keen on having." She gave Barry a deadpan look before putting on fake cheer. "'Hey Dad, so that dangerous criminal you guys have been looking for made himself at home in your living room. And instead of flashing him back to prison like the stalwart defender of the law he's supposed to be, Barry pushed him against the fireplace and had so much inappropriate sexual tension with him that I didn't know whether to scrub out my eyes with bleach or record it and make a fortune putting it on the internet. Oh, and also, Snart asks that you keep mini-marshmallows in stock for future visits.'"

Barry spluttered. "That's not how it happened." 

He had been angry. Snart had threatened him. Any and all tension between them had been purely antagonistic. Barry hadn't at all noticed Snart's breath smelling like hot cocoa or how warm his body had felt against Barry's or the deep blue of his eyes in the gleam of candlelight. 

Right. 

Not even Barry was that good at denial. His eyes flickered over to where Snart was handing some kid a ball she'd lost, and even from the distance, the unfamiliar soft smile on his face was doing funny things to Barry's stomach.

"I _was there_ , Barry, and that's exactly how it happened." 

That fond exasperation was back in Iris's voice, and when Barry tore his eyes away from Snart and turned towards her, the sentiment was reflected in her features. 

Whatever Iris saw on his face made her laugh. She threw the bottle of sunscreen at him. "Careful, Barry, you'll get yourself burnt."

He pretended that the double entendre was lost on him.

#

"Don't look now, but the guy over there either made you or he's checking you out."

Leonard accidentally on purpose let the frisbee slide past, risking a furtive glance behind as he bent down to pick it up. When he spotted Barry, the momentary rush of adrenaline and wariness he'd felt at Lisa's words ebbed away. The Cold Gun might have been safely wrapped in a beach towel at the bottom of his gym bag, but he'd have hated to have to fight his way out of here just because some random stranger called the cops on him. 

Brushing the sand off the neon-colored plastic, he grinned at Lisa. "Little more of column A than of column B, I think."

Something in his tone must have given him away, because Lisa's eyes narrowed, her gaze instantly sharpening as it always did whenever she thought she was onto something juicy. "Is that so? And yet, you seem more disappointed than alert. Shouldn't we be in a hurry to pack up and leave before beach cutie over there gets us arrested?"

"He's not gonna be an issue." 

Leonard tried to put an air of finality into the words, but he knew it was futile. There was no way Lisa would be satisfied with that explanation. 

"So you know him. Who is he?"

Sometimes, he hated being right.

He sighed. "Barry Allen, a CSI for the CCPD. No need to concern yourself with him. I got him handled."

"A badge? Really, Lenny? What do you have on him that he's — Wait a moment, I've seen that cute smile before. Isn't he friends with Cisco? _Oh!_ " 

Leonard could tell the exact moment she made the connection. Her face lit up like on that Christmas Day when she was twelve and Leonard got her a pair of brand new ice-skates he'd bought with money he'd stolen from Lewis. He'd sported a black eye for a week, but his sister's delight had been worth it. He was less thrilled with her gratification right now, though it probably didn't violate the terms of his agreement with Barry if she worked out the Flash's identity on her own.

She cocked her head, now unabashedly watching Barry through her gold-rimmed sunglasses. "Well, well, well. Turns out that perky little ass looks equally appealing whether it's wrapped in red leather or a pair of speedos, and he's got a face to match. No wonder you have problems keeping your cool around our speedy friend, Lenny!"

Leonard rolled his eyes. He would have been annoyed if he didn't appreciate his sister's puns too much. "Cute," he drawled.

"Yes, he is."

Oh, for — " _Not_ what I meant."

Her laughter was silvery and uncommonly genuine. "Doesn't make it any less true, now, does it?"

#

It was one of those hot summer Sundays when at least half the population of the Gem Cities had flocked to the beach. There were hundreds of people around Barry. It shouldn't have been as hard as it was to ignore a single other person a good fifty feet away, even if the person happened to be Captain Cold. Except for some reason, Barry found it really hard to focus on the book he'd brought along, stealing furtive glances at Snart over the rim of his sunglasses.

He didn't think Snart had even spotted him. If he had, he certainly didn't seem at all ruffled by sharing a beach with his nemesis. Was nemesis even the appropriate label anymore? Captain Cold had been suspiciously AWOL since his highly publicized prison break, and during their last two encounters, he and Barry had worked, maybe not quite together, but at least towards a common goal. Maybe after the mess with Lewis, Snart had lost his taste for crime and decided to call it quits. 

It should have been an appealing thought. Somehow, it wasn't, not if it meant that Snart dropped off the radar altogether. 

Barry frowned. He was still chiding himself for his selfishness when he noticed a shadow falling onto his book. He craned his head towards whoever was blocking the sun, but the bright glare of sunlight at the woman's back made it impossible to make out her features.

It wasn't until she spoke that he recognized her. 

"Hello there. Aren't you Cisco's friends from Jitters? I saw you over here and thought I'd come say hi. I'm Lisa."

Next to him, Iris jumped a little. A quick, suspicious look passed between her and Barry before she put on a smile and turned towards Lisa. "Hi, I'm Iris, this is Barry. I remember you. You whisked Cisco away for some kind of emergency. Did it turn out okay?"

If Barry didn't know Iris so well, he almost would have bought the clueless act and the fake concern. Just as he would have bought the nonchalance with which Lisa shrugged off the question, if he hadn't seen first-hand how scared she had been that day.

"Oh sure. Just a silly little thing. Cisco was such a darling to help me out. Anyway, I was going to check out the new shops up on the promenade, and I was wondering if you'd tag along, Iris? My brother can't be bothered, and it's more of a girl thing anyway. I heard they have a sale on the swimsuit collection," she chirped, laying on the excitement a little too heavily. Turning a blinding smile on Iris, Lisa looked her up and down. "Not that you need it, clearly. I love your bikini! But a girl can never have too many shiny things, right?"

It was the world's least covert attempt to separate them, and Barry had no intention of leaving Iris alone with Lisa. Just because Lisa had a soft spot for Cisco and technically owed Team Flash her life didn't make her safe to hang around. "I don't think —"

"Sure," Iris cut him off before he could make his objection known. "I meant to have a look anyway, and I'd love some company."

Barry snapped his mouth shut. What the hell? 

He tried to catch Iris's eye, but she wasn't looking at him, leveling a smile at Lisa that was just a little too sharp to be friendly. 

"I thought we were going to spend the day together, Iris." 

Jesus. He sounded like a sullen teenager who got mad that his friends made plans without him. He internally winced, before reminding himself that he was just trying to keep Iris safe. 

Except Iris clearly had no intention of staying safe. 

She turned towards him with a raised eyebrow. "It's not like you were paying attention to me anyway, Barry. You've been a little preoccupied since we got here." 

The twitch of her mouth took some of the sting out of the words, but it didn't make him feel any less called out. He couldn't even properly defend himself – yes, of course he had been distracted by the presence of one of his villains, how was that his fault? – because they had an audience. 

"Don't I know that feeling?" Lisa laughed and turned to Barry. "Don't worry, cutie, I'll get her back to you safe and sound."

Something about her choice of words made Barry think she knew exactly who he was, or at least knew that he was well aware of who she was. He put some steel into his glare, though he suspected that Lisa, much like her brother, was likely immune to it. "You'd better."

And then, with smile and a cheeky little wave, the two of them were off.

#

Barry's towel was occupied when he came back from a swim.

"You shouldn't leave your valuables unattended. Anyone could help themselves to them while you're out frolicking in the water." It was almost spooky how Snart always seemed to sense Barry's presence without even looking at him. He was lying with his back towards Barry, leafing through the book Barry had left behind. He'd taken out the bookmark, too. Of course he had.

Barry sighed. He didn't bother explaining to Snart that he had in fact asked the young couple sitting a couple of feet away to keep an eye on his stuff. When he looked over, they were so engrossed in each other that Barry doubted they'd notice if the beach was on fire. 

Reaching across Snart's outstretched body for a towel, he deliberately let himself drip all over the other man's exposed back, childishly pleased at the way Snart jumped when the cool water hit his skin. The play of muscles beneath his skin was even more enticing up close, and Barry had to struggle against the sudden impulse to reach out.

"I suppose I should thank you for keeping watch?" he asked while he toweled himself off, cringing at the feeling of wet sand sticking to his feet.

Snart hummed under his breath. "Always happy to help." 

Barry's snort got muffled in the fluffy cotton as he wiped his face and rubbed the water out of his hair. When he pulled the towel away again, blinking against the brightness of white sand in the sun, Snart had put the book aside and turned on his back. His eyes were slowly trailing down Barry's body, the intensity of his gaze making Barry's skin prickle more than the sizzling heat of the sun.

Flushing, Barry sat down on Iris's vacated spot, putting on his sunglasses like they could shield him from Snart's looks. He fumbled with the bottle of sunscreen, ignoring Snart as he busied himself putting on a fresh layer.

He was rubbing the lotion onto his shoulders when Snart shifted and sat up. 

"Turn around," he said, his voice a low drawl that made Barry's stomach clench. 

His lizard brain balked at the idea of turning his unprotected back towards someone who used to shoot at him. It wasn't like Snart could make him. Barry could say no and laugh it off, and the worst thing that could happen would be Snart making puns about red being his color when he inevitably ended up with a sunburn. 

But he knew he was being silly. It wasn't like Snart was going to hurt him. Maybe out there when they were going against each other as Flash and Captain Cold, all bets were off; but Snart was hardly going to get out the Cold Gun and shoot him in the back on a crowded beach. 

He lay down on his stomach and held out the sunscreen for Snart to take.

Still, at the first brush of Snart's hands, he jumped a little. They were cool on his skin, the rough calluses noticeable even through the slick layer of lotion Snart was spreading across Barry's shoulder blades.

"Relax, Scarlet." Amusement swung in Snart's mocking tone. "What d'you expect's gonna happen? That I'll stab you in the back and steal your towel?"

"You were the one who warned me not to trust you. What was it you told me? You're a liar and you hurt people?" He remembered Snart's words on the airfield verbatim, but he swallowed the rest, mindful of their lack of privacy.

"So you listened. Good." Snart sounded strangely satisfied – and utterly unrepentant. It should have irked Barry, but the way Snart's thumbs pressed into the tense muscles of his shoulders felt too good, and he found himself relaxing under the touch despite himself.

He swallowed, hiding his face between his arms. "Did I really? I'm not sure."

If he really had listened, they wouldn't be here. Snart would be back in Iron Heights and Barry wouldn't be giving a man who had once tried to kill him unfettered access to his body under the flimsy pretense of putting on sun-block. 

In their junior year of high school, Iris had always teased Barry about his inappropriate crush on the captain of the lacrosse team even when Barry ended up getting shoved into lockers at an alarming frequency. 'It's like hot bad boys totally break your moral compass,' she used to laugh. There was something disconcerting about the realization that his tastes hadn't changed much since he was seventeen.

The only indication that Snart had understood the extent of Barry's admission was the way his hands momentarily stilled against Barry's back, a second of hesitation or perhaps acknowledgement before he continued as if Barry hadn't said anything. His touch travelled lower, his thumb teasing against the waistband of Barry's speedos, and the churning in the pit of Barry's stomach turned into something else.

"If someone calls the cops on us for public indecency, you only have yourself to blame for ending up in Iron Heights again." He mentally congratulated himself on keeping his voice nonchalant and steady.

Snart laughed, warm and genuinely amused. It was a nice sound, so different from Captain Cold's harsh chuckle. With one last lingering touch, he pulled away. Barry tried not to miss the feeling of those hands on his skin.

#

Leonard had a lot of practice adjusting plans to unforeseen complications and temporary setbacks, but even he had to admit that he'd lost control over this one. It had been easy enough in theory. He'd been bored when Lisa had abandoned him to take off with the formidable Miss West, no doubt to extract some embarrassing childhood stories about her foster brother she could later use against the Flash, so Leonard had decided to have some fun at Barry's expense. All he was going to do was remind the kid that just because Captain Cold had been lying low for a bit, he had no intention of quietly fading into obscurity. Enjoy antagonizing Barry a little, keep him on his toes.

Somehow, it had backfired the moment Barry had stepped out of the water in a pair of criminally tight speedos, tousled-haired and slightly sunburnt, looking like every inappropriate fantasy Leonard had ever had of the Scarlet Speedster.

And it only got worse. If he'd thought having Barry under his hands had been a temptation that tried his restraint, it was nothing on the frankly pornographic sight of Barry's lips wrapped around the popsicle he'd got from the ice-cream truck over by the water. His tongue darted out to lick off an errant drop running over his fingers before his lips closed over the bright blue ice pop once again, sliding it deep into his mouth in what had to be the least subtle approximation of a blow job.

There was no way Barry didn't know exactly what he was doing. Leonard had to give him that: as a revenge for the impromptu back rub, it was ingenious. Kinda crude, sure, but altogether too effective. 

He watched Barry fellate the popsicle for a few more seconds, a trail of melted blue liquid escaping down his chin, before Leonard decided he'd had enough.

He stood abruptly, startling Barry. 

"I'm going for a swim," he announced. If his voice was a little more raw and gravelly than it had any business being, well, he wasn't going to give Barry the opportunity to call him on it as he turned and briskly walked towards the ocean.

The best thing about swimming, even on a day like today where everyone flocked to the ocean, was how it gave you the kind of focus that drowned out everything else. It was just Leonard and the water out there, and the combination of exercise and cool waves surrounding him helped him clear his head and regain his chill. 

He circled back to where the waters were shallow enough to stand, but still far enough out that the constant flow of laughter and chatter from the people at the beach was just faded background noise. Squinting against the sunlight, he eyed the beach in the distance, trying to find Barry among the mass of sunbathing bodies, but it was impossible to make out any individual in the crowd.

"Hey." 

He wasn't proud of the fact that he actually jumped a little. Twisting around, he glared at Barry, who was standing less than ten feet away, the water reaching up to his torso. His lips were twitching. The flushed, freckled skin of his shoulders glistened wet in the sun, and the sense memory of how it had felt under his hands made Leonard's fingertips itch to reach out again. He fought down the urge ruthlessly, putting on a glare.

"Little warning next time."

"Says the guy who stole my towel as soon as I left it alone for five minutes."

Did Barry expect him to feel bad about that? Leonard offered an unapologetic shrug. "I'd be a terrible thief if I let an opportunity like that pass. I do have a reputation to uphold."

Barry snorted. "Right." 

There was a fond kind of amusement in his eyes, almost too soft for Leonard's comfort. Underneath that, though, an uncharacteristic hesitance, obvious in the way Barry seemed on the verge of saying something else before cutting himself off again. Odd. Barry wasn't usually the type to mince his words – if anything, he suffered a little from foot-in-mouth syndrome. Which made the way he was clearly holding back now even more curious.

Leonard raised an eyebrow. "Something on your mind? Or did you follow me out here just to complain about petty larceny?"

Barry's gaze flitted away and back towards him. The water splashed as he raised his arm, rubbing a nervous hand over his neck. Leonard's eyes were momentarily caught on the motion, and the expanse of skin on display, before being drawn up his mouth where Barry's tongue quickly darted out to wet his lips.

Unlike the little stunt with the popsicle before, there was nothing calculated or performative about the gesture, which only made it more enticing. It made Leonard _want_ , with the kind of intensity he usually wanted things, not people, and certainly not do-gooder superheroes who lived to ruin his plans. He pulled in air sharply, losing the battle not to let on how flustered he was.

Of course, Barry noticed. He fixed him with the intent kind of look that made Leonard want to squirm. Whatever Barry had seen on Leonard's face, it was enough to make him push through the hesitance and find his tongue again.

"Snart — Leonard. What do you want?"

Leonard almost laughed. Kind of a loaded question. Still, it was vague enough that Leonard could have easily brushed it off. He wanted a hell of a lot of things. Access to the vault of Central City Bank. The Santini empire at his feet. A painful death for everyone who had ever hurt Lisa. A long life full of riches and thrills. 

But Barry was looking at him with the kind of expression in those green doe eyes of his that made Leonard want to be honest with him. It was the same expression that had almost made him abandon his plan to sabotage the truck and set the metas free, the same expression that made his insides clench when Lewis shot Barry, that stopped him from aiming the Cold Gun at Barry's heart and pulling the trigger, time and again.

"Right now?" He raised an eyebrow and waited until Barry nodded. "A little privacy. You, naked. A nice flat surface."

Barry swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. He turned his head slightly, avoiding Leonard's gaze. 

Right. Leonard figured the response spoke for itself.

It was a losing battle to keep the bitterness from his chuckle. "You asked. Not my fault you can't handle the answer."

"I'm trying —" Barry's voice sounded _wrecked_. He swallowed again before fixing Leonard with a hard look and starting again. "I'm trying to figure out whether we're far enough out in the water that it's safe enough to flash us away from here. Trust me, I can handle you just fine."

Oh. 

Leonard winced. As appealing as that sounded — "You can't. Flash us away, that is. I got the Cold Gun in my bag at the beach. Probably not a good idea to leave it behind."

"You brought the _Cold Gun_ to the beach with you? Oh my God, Leonard, what the hell's wrong with you?" Barry hissed, shaking his head. His eyes were blazing in a way that reminded Leonard of their old encounters before they started pulling their punches.

"There are a lot of people out there who want me dead, Barry. I'm not going to go anywhere unarmed, especially not if Lisa's with me. Not all of us have superpowers conveniently at hand whenever we need them."

Barry rolled his eyes heavenwards but didn't refute Leonard's argument, frustration clearly winning out over anger. Relief left a sharp aftertaste on Leonard's tongue. He would have hated for this to be over before it even had a chance to begin.

Barry sighed. "Fine. Since you saw it fit to carry a piece of dangerous weaponry along, I guess it serves you right that we have to make our way back at normal speed."

Before he could turn and trudge off to the beach, Leonard caught his wrist, pulling him back. Despite everything, a part of him was surprised that Barry let him, that he didn't jerk his arm away and rush off in a flash of red lightning. Instead, he allowed Leonard to drag him closer until their bodies were almost touching. 

He leaned into the touch when Leonard curved a hand against the side of his neck and pulled him into the kiss he'd been denying himself all afternoon and so much longer than that.

#

"Look who decided to show up! We were wondering if we'd have to call Cisco to track you down."

If Barry had thought he and Leonard could quickly grab their stuff and get out of there, he hadn't counted on Lisa and Iris waiting for them once they'd returned from the water. He wondered if 'spectacularly bad timing' was a superpower.

Lisa, for one, seemed to thoroughly enjoy the situation, that same smirk on her face Barry knew all too well from Leonard; except, instead of making him want to kiss it away, with Lisa all it made him do was want to hide.

Iris was decidedly less amused. "I can't believe you disappeared like that," she chided. "You left everything behind. If anyone should know better, it's the two of you."

Leonard stepped forward. Their shoulders brushed when he pushed past Barry, sending a pleasant shiver down Barry's spine that he tried not to let show. Leonard didn't even bother drying himself, just reached down to grab his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "And we're very grateful that you kept an eye on it. I'm afraid we need to get going." 

His tone was smooth as ever, cool and unruffled, none of that fluster he'd displayed out in the water showing. Barry wished he was even half as good at concealing his feelings. Leonard's poker-face was damn annoying while Barry was trying to figure out where he stood with him, but it was certainly convenient when dealing with nosy sisters.

"We do?" Lisa frowned at her brother, suddenly alert, eyes darting between him and Barry in a way that made Barry suspect she was cataloguing them for injuries. It made sense, he supposed – they disappeared together and were all tense and tight-lipped upon their return; it wasn't a big mental leap from there to thinking the Flash and Captain Cold had had a scuffle away from prying eyes. Entirely wrong, but plausible.

The twitch of Leonard's lips made Barry think that he shared his assessment.

"No, _we_ do." Leonard motioned to himself and Barry. "You can stay and keep Miss West company, if you like. No need to rush."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, a quick, barely noticeable wince betrayed that he knew he'd tipped his hand. 

Iris frowned. 

Lisa gave her brother a shrewd, narrow-eyed look that soon cleared into comprehension.

All she said was, " _Oh!_ ". It was kind of amazing what volume of meaning she was able to infuse into a single, unintelligible syllable, Barry thought. Amazing – and scary, though maybe that was just because he felt very much caught red-handed.

It didn't take Iris long to catch on. 

"Oh my God," she gasped. She gave Barry the kind of look that implied she was judging all of his life choices.

Barry rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway. Yeah. We're leaving."

The window to get away from these two without being on the receiving end of merciless teasing or a lecture, likely both, was rapidly closing.

The mischievous gleam in Lisa's eyes didn't bode well. "Are you sure you don't want to stick around? We could stay a while. Maybe have dinner together, all four of us. I'm sure it would be wonderful. I mean, it's not like you have any pressing matters to deal with. No _hard and fast_ plans that can't be changed, right?" 

It really wouldn't have needed the emphasis to drive Lisa's meaning home, Barry thought bitterly.

Behind her, Iris clamped a hand over her mouth to stop from bursting into laughter.

Leonard looked like he was tempted to get out his gun and ice Lisa – or at least ice the assortment of shopping bags piled up at her side. Barry just wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole before he died of embarrassment. He wondered if it was worth potentially revealing his identity if he just grabbed Leonard and flashed him away. Sure, a few dozen people would see, and tomorrow his face might be plastered all over CCPN; but on the other hand, Lisa wouldn't get to mock him anymore and make terrible, suggestive puns. It seemed like a fair deal.

Still laughing, Iris waved him off. "Just go. No one wants a repeat of the Christmas thing."

One perfectly sculptured eyebrow going up, Lisa turned toward her. "Oh, do tell."

"Oh, you'll love this —" Iris started. 

Barry didn't get to hear what kind of grossly embellished version of the incident she gave Lisa, because he and Leonard wisely took the opportunity to escape.

_Epilogue_

There was still sand clinging to his skin when Barry pushed him onto the bed, the cotton of the sheets rustling cool and pleasant against his overheated back.

He propped himself up on his arms, watching through narrowed eyes as Barry crawled towards him. He stopped short of touching Leonard. 

"Hi." The smile on his lips was wry and a little unsure.

Anyone else, Leonard would have thought it was teasing, deliberate coquetry to draw the moment out, but Barry looked genuinely bashful. The contrast to the Flash's confident cocky attitude was almost endearing.

Leonard reached out and let his hand curve around the nape of Barry's neck, his fingers tangling in the damp curls. When he gave Barry a little tug towards him, Barry followed his direction without hesitation. Leonard let his lips brush against Barry's, feather-light and coaxing. Again and again. A quick flick of his tongue, like he was chasing the sticky sweetness from the popsicle. He waited until Barry angled his head into the kiss and tried to push for more, before he pulled back with a grin, using Barry's moment of confusion to flip them around.

It felt good to finally have the Scarlet Speedster underneath him. He'd thought about it since the day in the woods with Barry's powers bristling around them and Barry's smile quick and amused despite his anger – of course he'd thought about it, jerked off to the fantasy more than a couple of times. Didn't mean he ever thought it would really happen, and now that it did he found himself spoiled for choice in regard to what exactly to do with Barry.

Leonard could have sworn he felt tiny micro-vibrations running through the speedster's body. His pupils were blown, his cheeks flushed, and the thrill of knowing Leonard had been the one to cause this was almost as exciting as having a well-planned heist go off without a hitch.

He barely resisted the impulse to lean down and suck a bruise into the pale, tender flesh of Barry's neck for another few seconds before giving in. Barry tasted like salt water and sun-exposed skin, and the sounds he made when Leonard gently bit down made him want to cover every inch of Barry's skin in bruises and bite-marks.

Leonard's mouth trailed a line from Barry's pulse point to the juncture of his jaw.

"What d'you want?" he asked, right against the shell of Barry's ear, throwing Barry's earlier question back at him.

Barry shuddered against him. "Getting to have this, in any way that I can."

Interesting choice of words. Disappointingly evasive, though. Leonard pulled back, ignoring Barry's protests and his hands trying to coax Leonard back down, even though he too missed the sensation of skin against skin.

He let his eyes sweep over Barry's body, taking his time. "Hmm. Not what I asked."

Confusion flashed over Barry's face, and his hands fell away. "It... kind of is?"

"No, Barry. I was asking what you wanted, not what you'd content yourself with."

Barry chuckled. "Remember what you said about not asking any questions when you can't handle the answer?" He rubbed his hands over his face, hiding behind them until Leonard got tired of waiting, taking hold of Barry's wrists and pulling them up over his hand and holding them down with his weight. Barry's throat worked when he swallowed. He'd wrapped his legs around Leonard's waist, holding on tightly like he thought he needed to stop Leonard from getting away.

"I want you. In my bed. In my life. Terrible puns and casual disregard for the law and reckless thrill-seeking and all. I want more days like today. And right now I want you to fuck me until you forget all the good arguments why this is a bad idea."

It was such a _Barry Allen thing_ to say, and Leonard couldn't help marveling at how the kid was still wearing his heart on his tongue like this after the kind of life he'd had, how he'd been betrayed and hurt over and over again and still didn't stop putting himself out there. It would be easy enough to cut him down. Just like it would have been easy enough to pull the trigger on the Flash when Lewis egged him on. But as always when it came down to hurting Barry – _really_ hurting him, beyond a few bruises and frostbite that would heal in a matter of hours – Leonard found he didn't really want to do it.

Barry was watching him with hooded eyes, still under Leonard's hands. 

"Too much?" he asked quitely.

Leonard opted for honesty. "I don't know," he admitted, undermining the words by giving Barry's wrists a reassuring squeeze. "Why don't we start at the last bit and work up to the rest? Take it slow. I know you're not a fan, but it has its advantages."

Barry snorted at the pun, the tension bleeding out of his body. His smile was bright and warm like sunshine. "Works for me."

End.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are like ~~hot cocoa with mini-marshmallows~~ deliciously cool ice cream, just with less calories)! ♥
> 
> You can [find me on Tumblr](http://sproutwings.tumblr.com), drowning in Coldflash feels, one GIF set at a time.


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